1. Field of the Invention
The invention pertains to the use of organic gas sensors with a hot gas desorption system using carbon bed adsorption.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In the past, thermal engines have driven heat pumps for the recovery of volatile organic compounds (VOCs), such as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,035,117, commonly assigned with the present application.
Likewise, hot gas desorption systems have been developed for use with carbon bed adsorption units used in the capture of commercial and industrial solvents. Such systems have been shown to be a highly energy efficient approach to the recovery of solvents compared to the more standard approach of using steam as the desorbing media. The advantages of the hot gas desorption approach over steam lie in the reduction of thermal energy required per pound of solvent recovered, and the lack of steam condensate mixing with the final required liquid. The additional water in solution with the recovered solvent required either further separation by distillation with the expenditure of more energy, or an increase in disposal costs due to the added quantity of material.
However, in the past, it has not been convenient to detect and separate the individual solvent types being recovered in a hot gas desorption system.